Show ULl MOOSE PARTY WRECKED O. O P. P lEADERS SAY CL I J Root Roosevelt-Root Meeting Regarded Regarded Regarded Re Re- Move Offset Offset Off Off- U as t to Ui i set Hughes Wave 4 q WASHINGTON April 8 Washing Washing- ton Jon ton figuratively scratched its Us head over the tho Root Roosevelt hatchet interment Interment in interment In- In and otter after a reasonable pause Decided decided that it is not likely to have any iny great effect upon upon n the Republican I 1 presidential situation I The Republican leaders here expressed ex expressed ex- ex x pressed the opinion however t that at just justat justat justat at this time it would be well not not to discuss the matter at great length The so so called old g guard ard members do not c care care r to agitate anything that is likely Jo help Roosevelt in his quest quest quest-or or hu hunt t for for the presidential nomination Silence Sl- Sl lence they believe Just now Is Is t the e ebest best k way to to- avoid helping Roosevelt's boom h The feeling gr grew w among politicians today that the Root Roosevelt Root Roosevelt settlement settlement settle settle- fn ment nt means that the men who feel it their duty t to guide th the destinies of the grand old party have hav decided to do something radical to offset the offset the Hughes wave wave ive which admittedly has been sweeping pretty well over the entire country I J J Root Eliminated The defeat ot of the state constitution In New York last November by half hatt a million votes is looked upon as an evidence evidence evidence evi- evi dence of weakness on the part of ot Root with ith the rank and n file of ot the party embers members Therefore while it is known that Root is is' William m Barnes Barnes' first choice for the nO nomination n. n there has been a tentative elimination of Root from party consideration t There is no doubt that if it Roosevelt would would come out and pledge his support f for r Root the one time secretary of state state would loom very formidable and perhaps could run off oU with the nomination nomination nomination nom nom- but there is not the faintest notion in the minds of the leaders here that R Roosevelt sevelt would at this time in particular do anything which could be interpreted as an ironclad indorsement of of f any candidate He would certainly not hot do this it is believed here if such indorsement carried with it the elimination slim elim nation ri tion of himself He is a candidate for the nomination unless the information which comes to the headquarters here is altogether misleading Those who enjoy his confidence confidence confidence con con- were were satisfied long before hei he i started on his West Indies trip that he would try ry to get the nomination The word ord was was given out that it if he mentioned the nomination while he was in the south he could be regarded re regarded re- re as formally and definitely inthe inthe in the race r Such word ord came from him while he was wass was away and he therefore is con con- as S' an active and formidable j candidate at the present moment It Itis is said ld he will probably bly In the next f few w weeks discuss national issues with various various various va- va va va- rious representative men in and out of ot the party The meeting with Root is thought to have hl been merely the first No one has the slightest slightest- doubt here that within a very short time Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose- Roose velt will be fighting in his old fashioned fashioned fash fash- 1 n d way Tay to g get t the nomination Meantime the old bull buU moose party is presumed to have been thoroughly wrecked in the Way Various reasons are given in the Washington political gossip to account for tor Roosevelt's objection to Justice Hughes as the nominee and his friendly friend friend- friendly ly If feeling toward Root Root Hoot would Jf it Js s 5 assumed serve seive but one term If it fleeted elected because he would at the end of that h t term be well beyond the threescore three threescore e score and ten mark Justice Hughes it if elected would it is assumed now bea be f a Po a candidate for That would block the way for Roosevelt in 1220 1920 When the national committee met here iere a few months ago it was frankly stated at a dinner of ot the to most power power- tul tul leaders that Roosevelt was willing to be good in 1916 1016 if it the old wounds would be regarded as permanently healed His aim it was declared was the he nomination ri in 1920 1020 when he will shU still be comparatively a young man in he ha full height of his vigor r While the Root-Roosvelt Root meeting is accepted ed here as perhaps the most in in- in and and by many it is also regarded re- re as the most significant Inci significant inci- inci dent lent of the campaign thus t far r it is not belle believed that the situation as it has been been e n drifting along during the last few weeks has been materially changed j. j The opinion of at least SO percent per cent of e Republicans from all parts parts' of t the country ou try as expressed here lere i is that the Eight Ight Ig t for tor the Republican nomination tea lee between Justice Hughes and Theo dore velt with the others others trail trall- trall I trail trail-ing ng very far tar in the rear The consensus is 18 a also that tha Justice Hughes stands the better chance of ot running off oft with the honor donor J Hughes' Hughes Attitude Unchanged Efforts t to smoke him out have been renewed here with some embar embar- casement to Hughes but he has made it t known that he will stand stand patt paton pat on n His assertion that he heis is n not t a candidate te f for tor r the nomination The fact that ho does not declare positively that he would decline the nomination If it it were were offered or given to him is accepted ac- ac accepted ac ac- hero here as proof that he Inte intends ds to accept the honor hono if it comes to him as asi asa i a party call The Republican situation has been eo 80 BO thoroughly muddled since it first at started that nothing short of an absolute absolute absolute lute withdrawal of either Roosevelt or Justice Hughes would add to the co complexity complexity com com- of the situation No one ex expects expects ox- ox a withdrawal withdrawal from from Roosevelt ew expect from Justice Hughes a ap p positive statement that he would de de- cline cUneo While the party ship is drifting toward what the leaders expect will bethe be bethe bethe the roughest sea a convention ever embarked upon the old guard leaders ire are are attending to their knitting in every state where delegates are being chosen h sen From present Indication there will be fully two-thirds two of ot the Chicago legates f uninstructed and with so large a number of members as as s that anything I is likely to happen E a |